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Demagogue
“You have been forsaken! You have been enslaved by lies, beaten by injustice, and bled by greed, but you have not bowed your heads or bent your knees. If it takes a thousand years and a river of blood, then so be it, but we will be free!” –Unidentified heretic on Tranch prior to the rising of the Pale Throng Demagogues are rabble rousers and agitators who can sway great crowds with their words. These fiery orators may be cult leaders, idealists, madmen, fanatics, or subtle manipulators and agent provocateurs. All, however, have the skill to draw crowds together with words, bind them with rhetoric, and loose them on a target like a pack of dogs. Worlds have burned because of the actions of such men and women. Some wish for nothing more than to see the world around them torn down and set aflame, to stoke the fires of anger and dissent to the point of an all-consuming inferno. Some demagogues are created by the injustices done to them or those around them, injustices that push the demagogue past the confines of society and into open insurrection against all in authority. Many Demagogues within the Imperium are touched with such conviction and faith that they use their skills to build crusades of the credulous and desperate. Of these renegade preachers, many profess faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind in some form, but a few are spurred by the touch of Chaos and the lure of false gods. To the Imperium, demagogues are, for the most part, a menace whose activities must be controlled—and if necessary curtailed---with force. This can be more easily said than done, for many demagogues are adept at slipping through the Imperium unseen and unaccounted for. It is common for recidivist demagogues to appear long enough to create a brushfire rebellion or riot, only to melt away when the authorities move against them and replicate the destruction they have unleashed somewhere else. These elusive agitators are the most dangerous and hunted variety of demagogue, and many are counted amongst the most notorious of recidivists and heretics. Some demagogues are not the crazed fanatics or simple rebels they appear, but servants of the Inquisition acting as provocateurs and instigators for reasons hidden from all but the most subtle investigator. Most of these tame agents of hatred serve Inquisitors of a Radical disposition---and those who follow the Recongregator philosophy or Istvaanian doctrine in particular. Unlike true demagogues, these secret provocateurs choose their causes and targets with the dispassionate consideration of a master surgeon choosing the proper blade. One moment, they are calling for the overthrow of a mining cartel on Sepheris Secundus, and the next, they are rousing the mutants of Scintilla to frenzied revolt. For this most dangerous breed of demagogue, the effect their mission requires is all, and how it is masked is of no consequence. 'Becoming a Demagogue' Demagogues who serve Radical Inquisitors usually assume the role through necessity. When you are charged with bringing blood and destruction or instigating fundamental changes in the structure of Imperial authority, the ability to create a riot, instigate a mutiny, and foment rebellion is useful indeed. Talented orators and socially adept Acolytes may embrace this role and dedicate themselves to perfecting its finer points, while some are thrust towards it by their master. Required Career: Adept, Cleric, Imperial Psyker, or Scum. Alternate Rank: Rank 3 or higher (1,000 XP).